The penultimate month of the year has donned a new name — Movember — to raise awareness for testicular and prostate cancer, as well as men’s mental health issues. The Movember Foundation has even made its way to the University since its founding in Australia in 2003, bringing many moustaches along the way.
“The point of Movember is to have a fun month with the challenge while raising awareness and funds for men's health,” said University Movember organizer Michelle Chaillo, a third-year Commerce student.
Men, dubbed “MoBros” by the organization, can sign up through the Movember website to grow a moustache for the month of November to raise funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men in the United States. About 50 percent of men will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.
Women, called “MoSistas,” can also sign up to help raise awareness for these issues.
“The Movember Foundation is the leading global, non-profit organization committed to changing the face of men’s health,” Chaillo said. “While at U.Va., a small team of us is just trying to grow this movement. We are just a small, but growing network within the 4 million moustachers that come together worldwide.”
Movember is organizing several events at the University this month to promote the cause, such as a "Hoo Rocks it Better" competition on Facebook, which will feature volunteer MoBros involved in different organizations at the University.
Social media will play a large role in promoting the campaign, through contests and participation in #ManCrushMonday campaign on Twitter, as well as quizzes on Facebook such as "Which Moustache Are You.”
“The main promotional events will happen on the week of [Nov. 17], where we will try to reach out to hopefully over a thousand Wahoos,” Chaillo said.
The organization plans to launch the week with a 5K and moustache photoshoot. Movember activities for each day of the week will follow. Movember will end the month with a “Shave the Date Bar Night,” a partnership with Relay for Life.
Movember is also reaching out to University fraternities, hosting a competition to see which fraternity can recruit the most brothers for their team.
“Throughout the week [Nov. 17], we hope to have each fraternity volunteer a MoBro to be featured in a competition of the moustaches,” Chaillo said. “Boxes [for each participating fraternity] will be placed in libraries and spots around Grounds and the one with the most donations will win points towards the IFC competition.”
Movember is also coordinating with local businesses as part of its campaign
“We will try to get businesses on the Corner to donate part of their earnings at [certain] times of the week,” Chaillo said.
Movember has raised about $500 at the University so far, which will go toward research organizations including Livestrong, Prevention Institution and the American Cancer Association.
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